More tech companies paying for CEOs to ‘super commute’ from homes in other states

As tech companies search globally for top talent, more are hiring execs who commute from their homes in other states. (Image courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons user Atomic Taco)

In Silicon Valley, an area known for looking within its geographic boundaries for leadership, companies are relying on modern technology to expand the search for the perfect chief executive officer.

Finding a CEO whom shareholders trust and who has the ability to navigate the fast-paced, high-risk world of Silicon Valley is a daunting task for companies. Now, in a world of Skype and email, geography plays less of an obstacle than it did even 20 years ago in finding the right executive team.

If the person is right, many companies consider hiring traveling CEOs, chief executives who live across the country and have no intention of uprooting their families or selling their homes anytime soon.

John Barbour, the 51-year-old CEO of LeapFrog Enterprises, a popular toy technology company, is one example. Barbour lives in Rye, New York but oversees the multimillion-dollar enterprise thousands of miles away in Emeryville, California. Continue Reading >>